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HELP WITH ENERGY BILLS

Citizens Advice is calling on people to consider switching energy supplier.

Throughout November the Citizens Advice offices will be offering advice sessions to help anyone in Central Bedfordshire understand their energy bills and guide them in switching suppliers.

As people prepare for winter one of the things many can do is switch to a better gas and electricity deal. The findings from an Ipsos MORI survey of 2,000 UK participants shows millions of householders across the UK don’t realise how much they could save from switching energy supplier or tariff.

The figures find that:

• 40 per cent of people don’t know how to switch.
• Over 12 million people don’t believe switching could save them money.
• 16 million householders believe switching myths, such as that they may be disconnected for a short period whilst changing energy supplier.

Citizens Advice local offices based in Ampthill, Biggleswade, Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard are urging householders to winter-proof their energy bills.

Findings from the MORI study showed that misunderstandings and misconceptions could be a major reason behind why people are not switching. Nearly two thirds of people wrongly believe one or more switching myths are true.

• A third of people wrongly think that prepayment customers can’t switch supplier if they’re in any debt.
• A quarter of people wrongly think that tenants require their landlord’s permission to switch.
• 25 per cent of people wrongly think they might be disconnected when changing supplier.
• One in five wrongly think you can’t change energy supplier when you move house, rather than staying with the property’s existing supplier.

Jenny Hedges, Manager at Citizens Advice Mid Bedfordshire said:

“By shopping around and switching to a different energy deal it may be possible for consumers to cut hundreds of pounds from their gas and electricity bills. Whether you own your home or rent it, and regardless of whether you have a prepayment meter, there are often savings to be made.

“The process of shopping around and switching is fairly straightforward but some people might be unsure about how to find the best tariff. Others might be put off by common myths about switching.

"That's why the four Citizens Advice offices are running advice sessions during November to help people understand their bills, understand the implications of switching and find the cheapest deal before temperatures really start to drop.”